Flooding

Floods happen quickly and often without warning but if there is a flood on the way you and your family should:

• Listen to your local radio and TV weather forecasts for advice from the emergency services.
• Roll up carpets and rugs and move them high up out of the way.
• Move anything you can upstairs.
• Get into the habit of storing valuable or sentimental items and important documents upstairs or in a high place.
• Any furniture that can’t be moved could be raised on bricks and pulled away from the wall.
• Weigh down any furniture which is too heavy to move, to stop it from floating and damaging walls and windows.
• Fasten plastic bags around the legs of wooden furniture.
• If possible, take the curtains down or wrap them round the curtain pole.
• Move computer and other electrical equipment upstairs or above the anticipated water level.
• Put plugs in sinks and weigh them down with something heavy to prevent backflow from the drains. Weigh down the loo seat too.
• Check you’ve got food and water supplies and take them upstairs.
• Bring caged outdoor pets inside, and move all pets upstairs.
• If your family has any flood protection equipment, like floodboards or sandbags, they should be put in place.

Do as much as you can in daylight. Doing anything in the dark will be a lot harder, especially if the electricity fails.

Floodline Warnings Direct, is a free service that provides flood warnings by telephone, mobile, fax or pager. It offers practical advice on preparing for a flood, and what to do if one happens. If your parents or carer wants to register for it they can call Floodline 0845 9881188